just beyond the rainbow

Monthly Archives: October 2013

I remember when this dress pattern first came out. I was completely taken with the design; it seemed so fresh and unlike any of the dress styles I was used to seeing. I made it up, but don’t remember wearing it very much. My sewing skills were somewhat limited in those early days and the dress probably didn’t turn out to look quite as nice as the picture on the pattern envelope.

Simplicity 5562

Now that I have begun to sell off my old patterns, I find myself struggling with letting go of this one. Most patterns are very easy to part with once the decision has been made, while others, not so easy. I found myself thinking about making it up in a contemporary fabric. I know it would be cute even though I couldn’t possibly fit into it anymore! 🙂

The slogan for McCall’s Patterns in the mid-1950s was “Make the clothes that make the woman.” The advertising campaign with this slogan shows two identical women, one dressed in McCall’s pattern pieces, the other in the finished garment. It’s a charming campaign from the Golden Age of Advertising. Here’s a selection, in roughly chronological order:

This ad from 1956 shows the model enjoying a fresh strawberry at a party. (Could it be a strawberry social?) The pattern is McCall’s 3562:

The September ad shows Dovima on a trip to Paris, before a mustachioed gendarme. The pattern is McCall’s 3785 by Givenchy:

Last year I made my first Chanel-style jacket. Finding a suitable trim, a hallmark of a Chanel, proved to be challenging. I decided to try making my own.

I began with a skein of ribbon yarn and number 9 knitting needles. Four stitches provided a nice width and using a basic stockinette stitch I created a long strip. Stockinette stitches tend to curl at the edges which works to advantage for hiding hand stitching when applying the trim to the garment.

Creating a trim from ribbon yarn

I would recommend making individual strips for each pocket and a continuous length for the center front and neckline. By doing this it will reduce the chance of the trim unraveling at the edges during application and can more easily be tucked in at seam lines or pocket edges. Otherwise, apply Fray Check or a fabric glue to secure the edges.

Once the trim is completed it can be attached by hand-stitching into position along the pockets, center front,neckline and sleeve edges.

A couple of days ago I was searching the internet for something interesting for dinner and came across a recipe for Lebanese Chicken and Rice. I decided to give it a try.

I began by cooking a whole chicken with onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, lemon, cinnamon sticks and cloves.

preparing the chicken

After cooking, I removed the chicken from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

remove chicken from bone and cut chicken into pieces

Next, I browned cashews in olive oil. Be careful not to scorch them like I did. The recipe called for cashews, but I think I would prefer to use pine nuts next time.

brown cashews in olive oil

After browning, I set the cashews aside to drain. The recipe called for vermicelli to be added and browned, but I used angel hair pasta broken into small pieces instead.

brown vermicelli or thin pasta

Once browned I added basmati rice and a portion of bokharat spice mixture and pepper.

Then I returned the cooked chicken to the pan and added liquid.

add chicken and liquid, cover for cooking

While the rice dish simmered, I prepared fresh green beans with chopped roma tomatoes and garlic tossed in olive oil for roasting.

green beans with tomato and garlic

I decided to make a Lebanese-style tomato sauce to go over the chicken and rice to add flavor and substance. The sauce can be prepared quickly and easily by adding fresh lemon juice and bakharat spice to taste to canned tomato sauce.

I look forward to the Holy Trinity Greek Festival all year long. It is held every October and by July I start anticipating the smoky fragrances of roasting lamb on the spit, and the hot oil fryers of the pastry tent. We’ve been going for so many years I’ve lost count. We’ve watched it grow and expand over time to accommodate the ever-burgeoning crowds in what appears to be a hugely successful fund-raising event for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Our annual pilgrimage takes us to the lovely tree-lined streets and vintage homes of Laurelhurst, one of old-Portland’s premiere neighborhoods. Finding parking on the residential streets can take a bit of tenacity, but we always manage to find a spot without too much trouble and walking through the neighborhood is a part of the pleasant experience.

tree lined streets of Laurelhurst

A beautiful Sunday in Portland, Oregon

As we make our approach to the church, we are first greeted by the delicious aroma of lamb roasting and the sounds of bouzouki music. I always have to exercise a certain level of self-restraint when I hear Greek music as it tends to make me want to extend my arms, start snapping my fingers and exclaiming opa!

roasting lamb

A large tent is set up where the ladies of the parish sell their homemade pastries… all Greek traditional tasty treats like baklava and other things I can’t quite spell or pronounce the names of, but all delicious, every one, I’m sure.

Greek pastries

Loukoumades, which I suspect means little-fat-pills in Greek, top my list of Greek savories. They are basically doughnuts, fried and dipped in honey or a sugary syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon. They are definitely a must have every year and very popular.

Living proof that loukoumades make you smile!

Soooo good!

But, before dessert, we head for the the dining hall where we feast on a traditional Greek chicken dinner. Tables are set up in the gymnasium and people are seated family style. I really like this part of the festival, because invariably we meet nice people. It is not an everyday thing to dine with people you don’t know, but it works in this situation and seems like a very Greek thing to do.

Dining family style

Dinner begins with a Greek salad with feta cheese, olives and tomatoes.

The main course consists of roasted chicken, orzo, green beans Greek-style of course, and a kourabiedes cookie for dessert.

Greek chicken dinner

After dinner, we take a trip through the market area where various Greek imports are sold.

Greek marketplace

I always try to stop in at the Ethos bookstore to pick up an icon for my refrigerator icon collection. This year I found a rather stern image of Christ; I like it, it’s different from any others than I have and will be a nice addition to my growing number of magnets.

Ethos bookstore

my refrigerator icon collection

Next we go to bask in the afternoon sun for awhile and watch the children dance in their traditional costumes. It is nice to see them learning and carrying on their traditions.

traditional dancing

We always like to visit the church; it is very beautiful and peaceful and while typical of orthodox churches, quite different from western churches I am familiar with. I always begin by buying a candle.

Buying a prayer candle

And what is one to do with a prayer candle, but to light it and say a prayer, of course.

Sending up a prayer

We go into the church for a few moments of reflection in the quiet under the gaze of the icons which line the walls. It definitely feels like a holy place and quite a contrast to the party atmosphere just beyond the front door.

In the narthex

in the Nave looking toward the Iconostasis

And for the finale, we make our obligatory visit to pasty tent for a dessert and Greek coffee

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Played dress-ups for church today, pairing a blue Garfunkle dress with a bubble-gum pink leather jacket.

I was hanging out to wear these embellished beige platforms so I started with them and worked the rest of the outfit around them.

These jewel-encrusted babies were a super bargain a couple of years ago from a Nine West factory outlet.

I scored this Garfunkle ruffle dress for $3 in an op shop on holiday last week. Thrift shops can be scary looking at first glance (I think I’ll never find anything in all the junk) but if you roll your sleeves up and start rummaging I guarantee you’ll find something great.

Capped the outfit off with this bright pink faux-leather jacket, colourful raffia clutch, and some turquoise-stone accessories to match the heels.

Speaking of pink leather jackets, one of my fabulous readers, Kerri – a woman of style and substance – is…

There is nothing quite like the brisk bite of fall air to make me start thinking about steaming bowls of soup and hunks of crusty bread or delectable portions of pomme frites. I love hearty soups. There is something primal about the making and eating of nourishing soups that warm the body and soul.

I discovered this recipe last year and it has become a favorite. Although I adore pea soups made with ham or bacon, this lighter version is equally delicious and a lot easier on the waistline.

I began by assembling all the ingredients.

Then I chopped the onion into small pieces and sautéed them in olive oil for around 5 minutes.

While the onions were cooking, I peeled 3 to 5 cloves of garlic and a portion of fresh ginger.

I have found that my mini-processor makes quick work of chopping herbs, so into the chopper they went.

Once finely chopped, I added the mixture to the onions and continued cooking for a few more minutes.

Then came the spice, hot curry (to taste) cardamom, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt. At this point my kitchen began to waft with the fragrant aromas of the spice market in the Grand Bazaar.

I mixed the spices in and let them simmer for a few more minutes.

Next I added chopped carrot, celery and a bit of fresh Italian parley for good measure.

Not being a vegetarian myself, I opted for a carnivorous blast of chicken broth.

Then I washed the peas and sorted through them for things that might not belong.

After washing, I stirred the dried peas into the broth, put a lid on the pot and let it simmer until finished.

Once the soup was done, I let it cool. Once thoroughly cooled, I took approximately half of the soup and placed it into a blender. I don’t like pea soup that it completely smooth; I do like a little bit of texture so I leave a bit unblended. Pureeing helps to give the soup body by thickening it up a bit.

Then I added the pureed mixture (yum) back into the soup pot,

and stirred to blend the two together.

Pomme Frites Soup Toppers

Dice a yukon gold potato and pre-cook. Drain well and set aside.

Heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a small pan and add the potato cubes, cooking until crispy and golden.

Remove from oil and drain well on a paper towel. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and dust lightly with curry powder.

These make a tasty garnish to an already delicious bowl of curried pea soup.